Get Ready, Get Set, Get Prepared for 2021

Get ready. Although we’re getting ready to say goodbye to 2020—by all accounts, the most turbulent year in recent memory—we’ve still got a whole new year ahead of us to plan for. And after the year we’ve had, it’s understandable that small businesses might be unsure of where to start. 

Our advice: start small and make sure your basics are strong. While we don’t know what’s coming in the months ahead, rebuilding or reinforcing a sound foundation will serve every business well. What does that look like, though? 

Support small businesses

Small businesses are the cornerstone of communities across the country. Small businesses create 1.5 million jobs annually and account for 64% of the new jobs created in the United States. Not surprisingly, they’re key drivers of economic growth. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has rendered 31% of the small businesses in the U.S. (PDF) non-operational at this time. 

That’s why in 2021, it’s critical that small businesses find ways to not just build support within their communities, but from one another as well. 

If you’re a small business, consider ways that you can offer support to others in your network. Collaborative partnerships can increase your referral network, boost your brand awareness and overall just feel good to be a part of. Think:

• Cross-promotions
• Collaborative events
• Swap services
• Create a shared system of customer rewards

Invest in marketing

Investing in marketing during hard times seems counterintuitive, but have you heard about the story about Kellogg cereal? (We promise, that’s not the start of a bad joke.)

In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, Kellogg cereal ousted Post cereal as the number one cereal of choice by doing what its competitor didn’t—investing in its marketing. They poured funds into radio ads and heavily pushed its newest cereal, Rice Krispies. 

This approached worked well because, in the absence of its competitors, Kellogg was able to capture an increasingly large slice of the market. 

What does this mean for you? As the economy still wobbles, look for ways to invest in your marketing. It might mean digital, print, or some combination. It might mean refreshing your brand. It might mean refreshing your graphics and signage. The solution depends on your business goals. 

Keep foot traffic strong

For retail businesses, the sharp decrease in foot traffic throughout 2020 has created a similar sharp decrease in revenue. Weekly foot traffic from July until mid-September 2020  is down by an average of 14% when compared to 2019, according to foot-traffic analytics firm Placer.ai. Along with the increase in online shopping—US e-commerce sales are set to increase 18% to $710 billion this year—businesses that depend on in-person shoppers are hurting. 

While the issue is multifaceted, there are steps you can take to maintain or increase foot traffic. And they all start with updating your signage. Consider these options. 

Wall or window wraps 

To boost your branding. To communicate social distancing and public safety protocols. To share promotions and sales. To just spruce things up a bit. 

There are lots of reasons to invest in wall and window wraps for your business. Not sure where to start for your business? Drop us a line. 

Lawn signs  

Lawn signs work especially well for businesses when they have a targeted message and a clear audience. These marketing staples tick all the boxes: 

• They’re cost-effect 
• They’re great for building and spreading brand awareness 
• They support word-of-mouth advertising 
• They can be used for businesses across all industries, from service providers to real estate agents

Think mobile (services)

It was a year of moving out of the office, remote working, virtual learning, and spending time at home. That means traditional consumer spaces need to rethink how to get their brand in front of customers. 

For businesses in the service industry with a fleet, even a fleet of one, an effective approach is to implement vehicle wraps. Vehicle wraps offer lots of benefits to your business:

• They’re affordable and easy to maintain, and deliver big (and trackable) ROI
• They improve your brand’s reach 
• They enhance your consumer credibility

Read up on all the reasons a vehicle wrap can benefit your business during a pandemic. 

If you’re ready to grow your business in 2020 with marketing products, wall or window wraps, lawn signs, vehicle wraps, or something else entirely, contact the SHOUT team today. We’d love to collaborate with you.